It is well known in the prior art to externally support injured limbs of a person to foster healing. It is routinely employed by orthopedic specialists in treating bones, joints and connective tissue by use of external casting, splints, wraps and braces until the body's natural healing processes have been started or completed. When the injury involves a person's legs, extra problems arise because of the supportive functions which the legs must provide, as well as the very special construction of the knee whose multi-centered pivotal motion allows the tibia to be bent with respect to the femur through a controlled angle.
The old practice of treating a knee injury by placing most of a leg in a rigid cast and leaving it in place for weeks is now being discarded by many surgeons in favor of short term casting. Specifically, it is recognized that in some instances, a lightweight, removable and adjustable combination can be employed as a replacement for a cast; ab initio or after a shortened healing period. Expressed otherwise, this employment can be either instead of a primary cast if the leg injury is not severe or replacement for a primary cast where early healing has started. Ideally, a patient's leg should be immobilized for the shortest feasible period of time and a longitudinally supportive brace and knee hinge allow some degree of exercise for the patient's muscles. This prevents atrophying and prevents the muscles becoming unreasonably weak through lack of use.
In a co-pending application entitled "BRACE FOR ARTICULATED LIMBS", inventor Gary R. Bledsoe, filed Jan. 22, 1981, Ser. No. 227,381, incorporated herein by reference, there was described an improved system of external bracing apparatus for controlling the degree of motion permitted by a wearer's knee and in that application there was delineated the prior art devices and the various approaches, including United States patents that dealt therewith.
Despite that improvement, however, there persists a need for a temporary, removable, adjustable universal external leg brace system that can provide greater support peripherally and longitudinally of the leg members through the use of greater stiffening and the like.
In the file history of that patent, there is included a prior art statement which lists a variety of patents ranging from the so-called Knee Immobilizers, through the Polio Braces to the Knee Braces or Supports. The group of knee immobilizers included the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,853,123; 3,935,858; 4,013,070; 4,041,940; 4,090,508; and 4,111,194. All these patents are distinguishable from this invention in that they do not have a hinge and no suggestion as to how they can be employed with a hinge.
The so-called Polio Braces are exemplified by the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,632,440; 2,943,622; 3,826,251; 3,827,431; and 3,844,279. These patents describe devices that are intended for long term wear over years, rather than short term rehabilitation of an injured knee or the like. These types of prior art apparatuses are usually recognizable by an attached shoe which constitutes a permanent part of the brace. Another identifying feature is a pair of load bearing members (usually steel) that extend vertically for the full length of the brace and which serve to support a leg and torso during standing or walking.
Inventions in a third category of braces known as Knee Braces or Supports are more nearly pertinent in that they include structures that are designed to support the knee or restrict knee movement to foster healing. The hinge may or may not be adjustable so as to control the degree of movement of these knee braces or supports. Exemplary of this type are the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,575,166; 3,581,741; 3,669,105; 3,785,372; 3,786,804; 4,136,404; 4,220,148; 4,233,967 and 4,241,730. A few comments are given with regard to these individual patents since they are more nearly pertinent to this invention. U.S. Pat. No. 3,575,166 includes two rigid cuffs that partially encircle a person's thigh and calf, respectively encompassing about 270.degree. of the wearer's leg member. The remaining 90.degree. gap is filled by flexible elastomeric material. A single hinge is rigidly connected at one side of the thigh and the calf cuffs in order to provide at least some control with regard to a person's movements. U.S. Pat. No. 3,581,741 discloses similar "body portions" 18, 28 which are described as being made of tough, polymeric, plastic material which may be internally reinforced with glass filaments or the like. While such rigid "body portions" may be advantageous in some cases, they do not provide the flexibility that is inherent in this invention and they require multiplicity of different sizes. The patentee recognized this deficiency and attempted to compensate by providing inflatable bladders within his rigid shells for filling the space between the rigid shells and the patient's leg. U.S. Pat. No. 3,669,105 discloses a construction which has at least been manufactured and sold. It is commonly referred to as the "Lennox Hill Brace". This is the type of brace that has been worn more or less successfully by athletes such as Joe Namath in order to prevent rotation of a weakened knee.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,372 is a rather complicated hinge applicance that is adapted to be attached to a person's leg through upper and lower casts. There is no disclosed technique for temporarily removing the Craig applicance of this patent for either medical or personal reasons. U.S. Pat. No. 3,786,804 has a single-piece cylindrical sleeve of elastic material that is described as being dimensioned to accommodate the wearer's knee. However, it is not apparent how a single cylindrical sleeve might be ideally suited for a large man or woman or a small child. Moreover that patent describes loose mounting of hinges so that it leaves a lot to be desired compared to this invention. U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,404 discloses an apparatus specifically intended to be connected to sides of a ski boot and is not very pertinent to this invention. U.S. Pat. No. 4,220,148 discloses what may indeed be a "stabilizer", but it is not the structural kind of apparatus of this invention. That patent does not disclose cushion sheets, elongate braces that lie on either side of the wearer's knee a plurality of straps and the other support in accordance with this invention. U.S. Pat. No. 4,233,967 discloses a construction made entirely of plastic so that it will be immune to liquids that might otherwise contribute to corrosion. That patented device does not have the structural elements recited in this invention. U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,730 discloses a knee support which includes a pair of pivotally interconnected rigid braces but does not include elongate braces, cushion sheets, straps and other elements of this invention.
While all of these various devices of the prior art may have solved one or more special problems, none of them offer the versatility that has been desired by doctors and patients to foster healing, provide comfort and alleviate the need for heavy primary casts and the like.